Buddha Park
| Buddha Park | |
|---|---|
| Xieng Khuan | |
 Buddha Park | |
  Buddha Park | |
| Type | sculpture park |
| Coordinates | 17°54′44″N 102°45′55″E / 17.91229°N 102.765397°E |
Buddha Park, also known as Xieng Khuan (as well as other variations of the spelling), is a
Hindu and Buddhist statues.[4] The socialist government operates Buddha Park as a tourist attraction and public park.[3]
Overview
The park was started in 1958 by
sculpture park, Sala Keoku, in Nong Khai.[1][5] Both parks are located right next to the Thai-Lao border, by the Mekong river, only a few kilometres apart from each other, and the tallest structures of Buddha Park can be seen from the Thai side of the Mekong.[citation needed
]
The statues are made of
Buddha, characters of Buddhist beliefs like Avalokiteśvara, and characters from Hindu lore, including Shiva, Vishnu, and Arjuna.[2] The sculptures were presumably[speculation?] cast by unskilled workers under the supervision of Sulilat.[2] One notable sculpture resembles a giant pumpkin.[1] It has three stories, representing three levels of existence: hell, Earth, and heaven.[1] Visitors can enter through an opening, which is the mouth of a 3-metre-tall demon head (9.8 ft), and climb several staircases from hell to heaven;[4] each story contains sculptures depicting the respective level. At the top, there is a vantage point, from which the entire park is visible.[4] Another sculpture, an enormous 40-metre-long (130 ft) reclining Buddha, forms the centerpiece attraction of the park.[6]
Gallery
See also
- Wat Rong Khun
- Sanctuary of Truth
- Wat Pa Maha Chedi Kaew
- Gardens of Bomarzo
- Visionary environments
- Outsider art
References
- ^ ISBN 978-1-85828-905-2. Retrieved 18 June 2011.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-74104-761-5. Retrieved 18 June 2011.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-312-33567-0. Retrieved 18 June 2011.
- ^ a b c d "Vientiane Attractions – What to See in Vientiane". Retrieved 18 June 2011.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-906098-18-6. Retrieved 18 June 2011.
- ^ "Buddha Park, a photo from Vientiane, North". trekearth.com. Retrieved 18 June 2011.
Further reading
- John Maizels, Deidi von Schaewen (photo), Angelika Taschen (ed.), Fantasy Worlds, Taschen (2007), pp. 218-219.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Buddha Park.
